Coming directly after Mat Time, use this as their incentive to move places and get involved in creating.  Children learn from doing (in fact we all do) so get them involved in a craft that is completely in tune with what you have just been teaching is the way to go.

Preparation is key

If like me you like craft you will spend a lot of your week preparing for this part of the day, what you have to remember is that these children are young and although your 6 year olds may be able to stick arms and legs on a toilet roll your 3 year olds will need help so it is all hands to the deck. Time during the week can be spent to speed the whole process up. I would cut things out, sew things together, use endless cellotape and half make things during the week x 27 so that the finishing touches could be made by the child.  I also think it is good to make a completed example so that you can show the class at Mat time and you can enthuse the children and show them what they are about to make and take home. This is really important to the children, children love, love, love to take things home and show them off proudly to their parents.

I tend to split the tables up in large groups with all 3 year olds at one and then 4 and 5 year olds and then 6 year olds, that way you are not running around the table trying to find the one that needs help the most.

I also used to have a helper who would walk around saying “oh no not paint day”, “I hate it when we have the paints out”, I would change the shifts when we did painting as I didn’t like that kind of negativity around the children, she once asked me “I thought I was on this week”, I would reply with “no we have the paint out this week!” See my resource on Building a Team, getting the right people in the right room is vital for it to be a healthy, fun and learning environment.

  I have an Easter craft that the children add to each week and then the week before Easter the craft goes home.  Try and make craft something that will last the journey in the car home, and if you are using paint, send it home the next week so that it can dry during the week. The most important thing is that the children have fun, they feel that they have achieved and created something and that the learning is talked about with them whilst they are doing the craft.